I have a gaming PC that is starting to struggle, especially when I run a game with a browser open. My 16GB of DDR4 RAM often reaches 100% usage, and the fans get very loud during more demanding games. I mainly play Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, and League of Legends, but I'd also like to run newer titles such as the latest Resident Evil games without needing maximum settings.
My current system is an ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING motherboard, Ryzen 7 3700X, ASUS GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM, a 500GB SSD for Windows, and a 1TB SSD for games. I use high-resolution displays, but I'm willing to play at lower settings or resolution if necessary.
I can spend around €300 for now, although I might be able to stretch that somewhat by buying used parts. Should I start by adding another 16GB of RAM, or would a CPU or GPU upgrade make a bigger difference? I'd also appreciate advice on checking what is actually consuming my memory, since I'm not sure whether the RAM, processor, graphics card, or background software is the main problem.
4 Answers
Your RTX 2060 is still usable for 1080p gaming at low or medium settings, so a major graphics-card upgrade is difficult within €300. I’d solve the memory issue first, then save for a more meaningful GPU upgrade rather than buying a slightly faster used card. Also check whether you are running games at 4K or another high resolution, since that puts considerably more pressure on the GPU.
Remove unnecessary background utilities and check your antivirus software. A third-party antivirus such as Avast can consume memory and CPU resources; current Windows Defender is usually sufficient for normal use if Windows is kept updated. A clean Windows installation may help if the system has accumulated problematic software, but it should not be the first step before identifying what is using the RAM.
Start by checking Task Manager while the problem is happening. Look at the Memory, CPU, GPU, and Disk columns to see what is actually reaching its limit. The games you listed should generally run acceptably with 16GB, so constant 100% memory usage could also be caused by background software or a program with a memory leak. Adding another matching 16GB kit would be a reasonable and relatively inexpensive upgrade if your usage is genuinely staying near the limit.
For a gaming-focused AM4 upgrade, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D would be the most attractive CPU option if you can find one used at a good price. It should work with your motherboard after a BIOS update, which should be done before removing the 3700X. It won’t fix a GPU bottleneck, but it can improve frame-time consistency and extend the life of the system.
I removed Avast and will monitor Task Manager while gaming. If the memory usage is still high, I’ll probably add another 16GB before looking at a used CPU or GPU.